Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, November 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 27 / Ordinary 32
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Read the Bible

Good News Translation

Job 41:8

Touch him once and you'll never try it again; you'll never forget the fight!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Leviathan;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Chaos;   Leviathan;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Leviathan;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Lay a hand on him.You will remember the battleand never repeat it!
Hebrew Names Version
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
King James Version
Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
English Standard Version
Lay your hands on him; remember the battle—you will not do it again!
New Century Version
If you put one hand on it, you will never forget the battle, and you will never do it again!
New English Translation
If you lay your hand on it, you will remember the fight, and you will never do it again!
Amplified Bible
"Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle [with him]; you will not do such [an ill-advised thing] again!
New American Standard Bible
"Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle; you will not do it again!
World English Bible
Lay your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Lay thine hand vpon him: remember the battel, and do no more so.
Legacy Standard Bible
Place your hand on it;Remember the battle; you will not do that again!
Berean Standard Bible
If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the battle and never repeat it!
Contemporary English Version
Wrestle it just once— that will be the end.
Complete Jewish Bible
one is so close to the next that no air can come between them;
Darby Translation
Lay thy hand upon him; remember the battle,—do no more!
Easy-to-Read Version
"If you ever lay a hand on Leviathan, you will never do it again! Just think about the battle that would be!
George Lamsa Translation
Try to capture him; such a battle you will have! You will never forget it.
Lexham English Bible
Lay your hands on it; think about the battle—you will not do it again!
Literal Translation
Put your hand on him; remember the battle; you will not do it again!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Darrest thou laye honde vpon him? It is better for the to considre what harme might happe the there thorow and not to touch him.
American Standard Version
Lay thy hand upon him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.
Bible in Basic English
Only put your hand on him, and see what a fight you will have; you will not do it again!
JPS Old Testament (1917)
One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
King James Version (1611)
Lay thine hand vpon him, remember the battell: doe no more.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Laye thyne hande vpon him, remember the battaile, and do no more so.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
They will remain united each to the other: they are closely joined, and cannot be separated.
English Revised Version
Lay thine hand upon him; remember the battle, and do so no more.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Schalt thou putte thin hond on hym? haue thou mynde of the batel, and adde no more to speke.
Update Bible Version
Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle, and do so no more.
Webster's Bible Translation
Lay thy hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
New King James Version
Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle-- Never do it again!
New Living Translation
If you lay a hand on it, you will certainly remember the battle that follows. You won't try that again!
New Life Bible
Lay your hand on him, and remember the battle. You will not do it again!
New Revised Standard
Lay hands on it; think of the battle; you will not do it again!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Lay thou upon him thy hand, remember the battle - no more!
Douay-Rheims Bible
(40-27) Lay thy hand upon him: remember the battle, and speak no more.
Revised Standard Version
Lay hands on him; think of the battle; you will not do it again!
Young's Literal Translation
Place on him thy hand, Remember the battle -- do not add!
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle; you will not do it again!

Contextual Overview

1 Can you catch Leviathan with a fishhook or tie his tongue down with a rope? 2 Can you put a rope through his snout or put a hook through his jaws? 3 Will he beg you to let him go? Will he plead with you for mercy? 4 Will he make an agreement with you and promise to serve you forever? 5 Will you tie him like a pet bird, like something to amuse your servant women? 6 Will fishermen bargain over him? Will merchants cut him up to sell? 7 Can you fill his hide with fishing spears or pierce his head with a harpoon? 8 Touch him once and you'll never try it again; you'll never forget the fight! 9 Anyone who sees Leviathan loses courage and falls to the ground. 10 When he is aroused, he is fierce; no one would dare to stand before him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 Kings 20:11, 2 Kings 10:4, Luke 14:31, Luke 14:32

Cross-References

Genesis 40:6
When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were upset.
Genesis 40:8
They answered, "Each of us had a dream, and there is no one here to explain what the dreams mean." "It is God who gives the ability to interpret dreams," Joseph said. "Tell me your dreams."
Genesis 41:1
After two years had passed, the king of Egypt dreamed that he was standing by the Nile River,
Genesis 41:6
Then seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the desert wind,
Genesis 41:8
In the morning he was worried, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. He told them his dreams, but no one could explain them to him.
Genesis 41:9
Then the wine steward said to the king, "I must confess today that I have done wrong.
Genesis 41:11
One night each of us had a dream, and the dreams had different meanings.
Genesis 41:12
A young Hebrew was there with us, a slave of the captain of the guard. We told him our dreams, and he interpreted them for us.
Genesis 41:13
Things turned out just as he said: you restored me to my position, but you executed the baker."
Genesis 41:14
The king sent for Joseph, and he was immediately brought from the prison. After he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came into the king's presence.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Lay thine hand upon him,.... If thou canst or darest. It is dangerous so to do, either to the whale or crocodile;

remember the battle; or "look for war", as Mr. Broughton renders it; expect a fight will ensue, in which thou wilt have no share with this creature:

do no more; if thou canst by any means escape, take care never to do the like again; or thou wilt never do so any more, thou wilt certainly die for it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Lay thine hand upon him - Prof. Lee renders this, very improperly, as it seems to me, “Lay thine hand on thy mouth respecting him,” supposing it means that he should be awed into silence by dread of the animal referred to. But the meaning of the passage evidently is, “Endeavor to seize him by laying the hand on him, and you will soon desist from the fearful conflict, and will not renew it.”

Remember the battle - Remember what a fearful conflict will ensue. Perhaps there is an allusion to some fact fresh in the mind of Job, where such an attempt had been made to secure the leviathan, attended with fearful disaster to those who had made the attempt.

Do no more - Or, rather, “Thou wilt not do it again.” That is, he would be deterred from ever renewing the attempt, or the conflict would be fatal to him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 41:8. Lay thine hand upon him? — Mr. Heath translates, "Be sure thou strike home. Mind thy blow: rely not upon a second stroke." Mr. Good translates: -

"Make ready thy hand against him.

Dare the contest: be firm."


He is a dangerous animal; when thou attackest him, be sure of thy advantage; if thou miss, thou art ruined. Depend not on other advantages, if thou miss the first. Kill him at once, or he will kill thee.


 
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